Due to COVID-19, many gatherings have been limited or canceled. However, with the holiday season approaching, there are some things that you can do to celebrate the season safely! Friendsgiving is usually when friends gather together to celebrate Thanksgiving; it is most popular among college students because oftentimes they do not visit family on Thanksgiving since it is near finals. While we are living through COVID-19 times, I want to be as precocious and safe when it comes to gatherings (and I’m sure you do, too!). Here are some ideas to help you plan a safe and fun Friendsgiving!
First, if you would like to celebrate with people who you don’t live with, try to keep the group to 5 people or less. This will be the most difficult part because many friend groups are bigger than 5 people, but you want to be mindful of the current health guidelines. Next, plan to host the celebration in an outdoor location whether that is the beach, park, or someone’s backyard. You should try your very best to avoid closely spaced gatherings! Make it fun and COVID friendly by having people bring their own drink or cup so people will not be tempted to share or accidentally drink from someone else’s cup. When it comes to Thanksgiving, food is the centerpiece! Try to make utensil friendly foods so people can avoid eating with their hands. Also, for those cooking or serving food, it is best to wear disposable gloves and have disinfectant wipes and hand sanitizer for people to use before and after eating. Avoid doing activities or games that consist of getting too close or touching the same objects. Some activities you can do can be play kickball, a match of soccer, have a silent disco, or create a scavenger hunt.
We are used to gathering for the holidays, but this year things will be looking a lot different. If you want to avoid crowds but still want to be with friends and family, you should plan to have a virtual Thanksgiving. It can start by everyone choosing the same ingredients and cooking a meal at home that will be enjoyed by everyone separately. For activities, you can watch a movie together or play virtual games like Bingo and Uno! You can also do all of these activities by yourself too if you opt-out of the virtual Thanksgiving. Remember, these are just suggestions for those who want to host an intimate Friendsgiving with close friends, avoid large gatherings. If you do not feel comfortable celebrating with other people that are not in your household, do not feel obligated to do so.
Some of these suggestions may seem obvious but it is often the most obvious things we tempt to forget about when planning for the Holidays. So it is better to be safe than sorry. However, you decide to celebrate I hope you all have a fun and safe Thanksgiving this year!